Indo-Canadian nuclear deal soon: Montek

Toronto: After sealing nuclear fuel supply deals with Russia and France, India is very close to inking a similar agreement with Canada.

With New Delhi planning to import reactors upto 20,000 MW of capacity in next 10 years, it has laid down a road map for strategic partnership with Ottawa and is “very close” to signing a nuclear cooperation agreement, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of Planning Commission said here.

“This offers a major market opportunity to Canadian firms to sell nuclear reactors, fuel and technology for safeguarded nuclear reactors but they have to compete with France, the US, Russia and Australia,” Ahluwalia said at a three-day Indo-Canada Energy Conference.

“Both countries are very close to signing a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement. A joint study group is working on Free Trade Agreement,” Ahluwalia said.

He also invited Canadian help in providing clean coal technology, non-renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy to help improve India’s energy security.

Canadian minister for Natural Resources Lisa Raitt said Canada, which is the fifth largest producer of energy, was committed to strengthening energy relations with India and “both countries are working a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement”.